’Ididhimnoharm，’repliedZhí；lin。’Ionlywantedtoseehowhelived。’
　　ThemasterrepeatedwhatZhí；linsaid。
　　Buttheoldmanwasinarage；hehissedandjabbered，showinghistusks，andshakinghisfistsatZhí；lin。
　　Zhí；lincouldnotunderstandall，buthegatheredthattheoldmanwastellingAbdulheoughtnottokeepRussiansintheAoul，butoughttokillthem。Atlasttheoldmanwentaway。
　　Zhí；linaskedthemasterwhotheoldmanwas。
　　’Heisagreatman！’saidthemaster。’Hewasthebravestofourfellows；
　　hekilledmanyRussiansandwasatonetimeveryrich。
　　Hehadthreewivesandeightsons，andtheyalllivedinonevillage。
　　ThentheRussianscameanddestroyedthevillage，andkilledsevenofhissons。Onlyonesonwasleft，andhegavehimselfuptotheRussians。Theoldmanalsowentandgavehimselfup，andlivedamongtheRussiansforthreemonths。Attheendofthattimehefoundhisson，killedhimwithhisownhands，andthenescaped。Afterthatheleftofffighting，andwenttoMeccatopraytoGod；thatiswhyhewearsaturban。OnewhohasbeentoMeccaiscalled“Hadji，“andwearsaturban。Hedoesnotlikeyoufellows。Hetellsmetokillyou。ButIcan’tkillyou。I
　　havepaidmoneyforyouand，besides，Ihavegrownfondofyou，Ivá；n。
　　Farfromkillingyou，IwouldnotevenletyougoifI
　　hadnotpromised。’Andhelaughed，sayinginRussian，’You，Ivá；n，good；I，Abdul，good！’
　　Zhí；linlivedinthiswayforamonth。DuringthedayhesaunteredabouttheAoulorbusiedhimselfwithsomehandicraft，butatnight，whenallwassilentintheAoul，hedugatthefloorofthebarn。Itwasnoeasytaskdigging，becauseofthestones；butheworkedawayatthemwithhisfile，andatlasthadmadeaholeunderthewalllargeenoughtogetthrough。
　　’IfonlyIcouldgettoknowthelayoftheland，’thoughthe，’andwhichwaytogo！ButnoneoftheTartarswilltellme。’
　　Sohechoseadaywhenthemasterwasawayfromhome，andsetoffafterdinnertoclimbthehillbeyondthevillage，andtolookaround。ButbeforeleavinghomethemasteralwaysgaveorderstohissontowatchZhí；lin，andnottolosesightofhim。SotheladranafterZhí；lin，shouting:’Don’tgo！Fatherdoesnotallowit。I’llcalltheneighboursifyouwon’tcomeback。’
　　Zhí；lintriedtopersuadehim，andsaid:’I’mnotgoingfar；I
　　onlywanttoclimbthathill。Iwanttofindaherb——tocuresickpeoplewith。Youcomewithmeifyoulike。HowcanIrunawaywiththeseshackleson？To-morrowI’llmakeabowandarrowsforyou。’
　　Sohepersuadedthelad，andtheywent。Tolookatthehill，itdidnotseemfartothetop；butitwashardwalkingwithshacklesonhisleg。Zhí；linwentonandon，butitwasallhecoulddotoreachthetop。Therehesatdownandnotedhowthelandlay。Tothesouth，beyondthebarn，wasavalleyinwhichaherdofhorseswaspasturingandatthebottomofthevalleyonecouldseeanotherAoul。Beyondthatwasastillsteeperhill，andanotherhillbeyondthat。Betweenthehills，inthebluedistance，wereforests，andstillfurtheroffweremountains，risinghigherandhigher。
　　Thehighestofthemwerecoveredwithsnow，whiteassugar；andonesnowypeaktoweredabovealltherest。Totheeastandtothewestwereothersuchhills，andhereandtheresmokerosefromAoulsintheravines。’Ah，’thoughthe，’allthatisTartarcountry。’AndheturnedtowardstheRussianside。Athisfeethesawariver，andtheAoulhelivedin，surroundedbylittlegardens。Hecouldseewomen，liketinydolls，sittingbytheriverrinsingclothes。BeyondtheAoulwasahill，lowerthantheonetothesouth，andbeyondittwootherhillswellwooded；
　　andbetweenthese，asmoothbluishplain，andfar，faracrosstheplainsomethingthatlookedlikeacloudofsmoke。Zhí；lintriedtorememberwherethesunusedtoriseandsetwhenhewaslivinginthefort，andhesawthattherewasnomistake:theRussianfortmustbeinthatplain。Betweenthosetwohillshewouldhavetomakehiswaywhenheescaped。
　　Thesunwasbeginningtoset。Thewhite，snowymountainsturnedred，andthedarkhillsturneddarker；mistsrosefromtheravine，andthevalley，wherehesupposedtheRussianforttobe，seemedonfirewiththesunsetglow。Zhí；linlookedcarefully。
　　Somethingseemedtobequiveringinthevalleylikesmokefromachimney，andhefeltsuretheRussianfortresswasthere。
　　Ithadgrownlate。TheMullah’scrywasheard。Theherdswerebeingdrivenhome，thecowswerelowing，andtheladkeptsaying，’Comehome！’ButZhí；lindidnotfeelinclinedtogoaway。
　　Atlast，however，theywentback。’Well，’thoughtZhí；lin，’nowthatIknowtheway，itistimetoescape。’Hethoughtofrunningawaythatnight。Thenightsweredark——themoonhadwaned。Butasill-luckwouldhaveit，theTartarsreturnedhomethatevening。Theygenerallycamebackdrivingcattlebeforethemandingoodspirits。Butthistimetheyhadnocattle。AlltheybroughthomewasthedeadbodyofaTartar——theredone’sbrother——whohadbeenkilled。Theycamebacklookingsullen，andtheyallgatheredtogetherfortheburial。Zhí；linalsocameouttoseeit。
　　Theywrappedthebodyinapieceoflinen，withoutanycoffin，andcarrieditoutofthevillage，andlaiditonthegrassundersomeplane-trees。TheMullahandtheoldmencame。Theywoundclothesroundtheircaps，tookofftheirshoes，andsquattedontheirheels，sidebyside，nearthecorpse。
　　TheMullahwasinfront:behindhiminarowwerethreeoldmeninturbans，andbehindthemagaintheotherTartars。Allcastdowntheireyesandsatinsilence。Thiscontinuedalongtime，untiltheMullahraisedhisheadandsaid:’Allah！’whichmeansGod。Hesaidthatoneword，andtheyallcastdowntheireyesagain，andwereagainsilentforalongtime。Theysatquitestill，notmovingormakinganysound。
　　AgaintheMullahliftedhisheadandsaid，’Allah！’andtheyallrepeated:
　　’Allah！Allah！’andwereagainsilent。
　　Thedeadbodylayimmovableonthegrass，andtheysatasstillasiftheytooweredead。Notoneofthemmoved。Therewasnosoundbutthatoftheleavesoftheplane-treesstirringinthebreeze。ThentheMullahrepeatedaprayer，andtheyallrose。
　　Theyliftedthebodyandcarrieditintheirarmstoaholeintheground。Itwasnotanordinaryhole，butwashollowedoutunderthegroundlikeavault。Theytookthebodyunderthearmsandbythelegs，bentit，andletitgentlydown，pushingitundertheearthinasittingposture，withthehandsfoldedinfront。
　　TheNogá；ybroughtsomegreenrushes，whichtheystuffedintothehole，and，quicklycoveringitwithearth，theysmoothedtheground，andsetanuprightstoneattheheadofthegrave。Thentheytrodtheearthdown，andagainsatinarowbeforethegrave，keepingsilenceforalongtime。
　　Atlasttheyrose，said’Allah！Allah！Allah！’andsighed。
　　Thered-beardedTartargavemoneytotheoldmen；thenhetoorose，tookawhip，struckhimselfwithitthreetimesontheforehead，andwenthome。
　　ThenextmorningZhí；linsawtheredTartar，followedbythreeothers，leadingamareoutofthevillage。Whentheywerebeyondthevillage，thered-beardedTartartookoffhistunicandturneduphissleeves，showinghisstoutarms。Thenhedrewadaggerandsharpeneditonawhetstone。TheotherTartarsraisedthemare’shead，andhecutherthroat，threwherdownandbeganskinningher，looseningthehidewithhisbighands。Womenandgirlscameandbegantowashtheentrailsandtheinwards。Themarewascutup，thepiecestakenintothehut，andthewholevillagecollectedattheredTartar’shutforafuneralfeast。
　　Forthreedaystheywentoneatingthefleshofthemare，drinkingbuza，andprayingforthedeadman。AlltheTartarswereathome。Onthefourthdayatdinner-timeZhí；linsawthempreparingtogoaway。Horseswerebroughtout，theygotready，andsometenofthemtheredoneamongthemrodeaway；butAbdulstayedathome。Itwasnewmoon，andthenightswerestilldark。
　　’Ah！’thoughtZhí；lin，’to-nightisthetimetoescape。’AndhetoldKostí；lin；butKostí；lin’sheartfailedhim。
　　’Howcanweescape？’hesaid。’Wedon’tevenknowtheway。’
　　’Iknowtheway，’saidZhí；lin。
　　’Evenifyoudo’’saidKostí；lin，’wecan’treachthefortinonenight。’
　　’Ifwecan’t，’saidZhí；lin，’we’llsleepintheforest。Seehere，Ihavesavedsomecheeses。What’sthegoodofsittingandmopinghere？Iftheysendyourransom——wellandgood；butsupposetheydon’tmanagetocollectit？TheTartarsareangrynow，becausetheRussianshavekilledoneoftheirmen。Theyaretalkingofkillingus。’
　　Kostí；linthoughtitover。
　　’Well，let’sgo，’saidhe。